Local Students Find Out More About The Digital World

Hundreds of students across Bath and North East Somerset have been given an inside look at the career opportunities that are now available in the digital world. 

The 15 to 19 year-olds from across Bath area came face-to-face with more than 30 employers from the creative, digital and IT sector at the all-day careers fair.

The aim of Digital Futures at Norton Radstock College was to introduce young people to the dynamic and fast-growing digital sector and its wide variety of career opportunities.

The event helped them to get a foot on the career ladder by showcasing the jobs available in gaming, design, animation, programming, digital marketing and mobile technology.

Hands-on activities included how to design visual effects for films, create virtual worlds in computer games, use 3D technology to make robotic hands, and tackle the challenging world of cyber security to design new software.

It was the first event at the College to focus on digital careers and attracted up to 500 children from schools, sixth forms and colleges.

Phoebe Jones, 15, from Paulton attended Digital Futures with other students from Somervale School in Midsomer Norton. She enjoyed a variety of masterclasses including Build Your Own Robot and How To Get Started on YouTube.

She said: “It’s great to be able to see the types of careers that are available.

“I really like music and I’m thinking about working in the technology side of the music industry.

“This event has really opened my eyes to what’s out there.”

Beechen Cliff School student Sam Brake, 17, from Bath said: “I’m not sure what I want to go on to do yet so an event like this is really useful.

“I’ve come along to get as much information as possible about what my options are.”

Students were encouraged to attend as many inspirational talks and masterclasses as they could to gain an overview of different industries, what it’s like to work in them and how to apply for jobs.

Harry Gee from the Bristol Robotics Company told the students that he was going to turn them into roboticists as he encouraged them to build, programme and control their own robots.

He said: “People have been saying robots are coming since the 70s, but now it’s really happening. Things are going to change in the next 10-15 years; we’re going to see more robots in all types of situations.

“We are already seeing some very exciting things; there are different types of robots making cars, in factories, agriculture, medicine and education.”

Meanwhile, professors from the School of Computing and Mathematics at Plymouth University taught students how to plan their imaginary escape from a POW camp using codes and ciphers to protect their secrets.

Students were taught the Caesar cipher encryption technique and told: “It’s really tricky; you have to write in a way the censors will allow. You use maths to decide how to structure your sentences but you can’t make mistakes and scribble things out.”

Another masterclass was run by technologist Charles Gersham who asked students to destroy then rework musical toys by experimentation.  He wanted to encourage free-thinking through trial and error.

The careers event on 27th March also featured an exhibition to give students the chance to meet employers and universities with relevant degrees and apprenticeships.

Louise Croft, Information and Guidance Co-ordinator at City of Bath College, who organised the event, said the day had encouraged young people to ‘have a go’ at new career options.

She said: “It was a great opportunity for young people to hear about the digital world from people who work in it and get hands-on in masterclasses taught by the professionals themselves.

“As a College we remain committed to helping people take their next step in education or work.”